Industrial heritage isn't necessarily
beautiful heritage. To some, a building such as the above (photographed
23/9/2000) is an eyesore.
However, this side of this example of industrial heritage is not the one its
architects planned for passers by to see. This is the 'business side' of the old
Palmerston North Electric Power Station.

Where
are we? The power station is located
in Keith Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand, adjoining Terrace End Cemetery
and overlooking Napier Road (State Highway 3).

The
Beginning: The Palmerston North Borough Council (PNBC) built and
equipped the Palmerston North Electric Power Station between December 1922 and
March 1924. It began a limited supply of electricity, for lighting purposes
only, in March 1924. Unrestricted usage began in August 1924. The facility was
‘officially’ opened on 12 November 1924. Between April and December 1924,
the power station also supplied the Manawatu-Oroua Electric Power Board’s (MOEPB)
customers, via its sub-station at Bunnythorpe. This ceased with the completion
of 11,000-volt lines from the Mangahao Hydro Electric Dam to that sub-station.
Mangahao itself was officially opened on 3 November 1924, a week before the
Palmerston North facility’s 'official' opening

The
Engines:At
first, three National gas engines powered the station, but in 1936, the
present two 1,400 hp. British Polar K48M diesel engines were installed. The gas engines were removed and scrapped in late 1953, although the original
switchgear upstairs, and the four large compressed air cylinders on the wall
downstairs remain The power station generated
electricity regularly until the completion of the Cook Strait cable in 1965.
After that, it helped reduce the loading at peak times. It was last used to
continuously generate electricity when the level of the southern lakes dropped
in 1992.

The
Politics: At
times over the years, the power station was the focus of battles between its
owner (PNBC, now PN City Council) and MOEPB, which surrounded the city. However, by the
time Centralpower (formerly MOEPB) purchased Palmerston North City Council’s
Electropower (formerly the council’s Municipal Electricity Department) in
December 1996, it had no use for the old building and its contents. PNCC,
therefore, remained its owner. The power station’s fate seemed shaky until the
Manawatu Branch of the NZ Historic Places Trust and interested local people
organised an open day and 'engine start' on 23 March 1997. In the two-hour
period, about 350 people visited the power station - despite terrible weather.
Because of growing interest in saving the building, a meeting of interested
people was held on 26 May 1997, and from this group PNEPS Inc. was in due course
formed.

Progress:
Although
some years have passed since then and to some not a lot may appear to have
happened, the organisational process has slowly ground onward. This included
leasing the building from PNCC and working on the building and its machinery. In early 1999, PNCC also re-roofed
the main part of the building - an expensive development that was essential if the facility was
to progress.

Then in 2010, the remaining part of the roof (the flat part) was also re-roofed
by PNCC.

Significance
and Developments:At
present, we have in our ‘possession’ one of the few surviving power stations
of its type that survives in New Zealand in a relatively unmodified form, and where
both of the engines are still operational - although not connected to the
national grid anymore. The other surviving power station is at
Springlands, in Blenheim. In February 1998, the society also inherited the
collection of the Hamilton-based National Electrical Museum Society, the bulk of
this material arriving in the Spring of 1999. It is at present stored
off-site, while the power station is transformed to display it.

Our
Aims:The
society’s aim is to preserve and maintain the power station’s own plant in
working order, to present electrical history (regionally and in general),
display older electrical equipment (including domestic appliances) and to
educate in these matters and in relation to safety with electricity.

For further information, please contact the society at the above addresses.